REUTERS/Courtesy of Lightchaser Photography/HandoutFull face transplant patient Dallas Wiens (R) is seen with his four-year old daughter Scarlette in this undated handout image.

REUTERS/Lightchaser PhotographyDallas Wiens cried tears of joy after receiving a kiss from his four-year-old daughter Scarlette.

Wiens lost his face in a horrific power line accident in 2008. He was painting a church standing on a cherry picker when it touched a power line. He suffered deep burns and doctors had to remove most of his facial muscle, tissue, and nerves, eventually covering his skull with muscle and skin from his back.

The plastic surgery team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston at first thought that Weins’s injuries are too extensive for a face transplant, but re-evaluated that diagnosis once they discovered there were enough underlying nerves left in his face. Eventually, they decided to go ahead with the transplant.

Because of about a dozen previous skin grafts and blood transfusions, Weins’s immune system was so sensitive that the chances of his rejecting a donor face were about 80 per cent. Still, the doctors decided to take the risk, which eventually paid off for Weins.

Courtesy of Lightchaser PhotographyIn this undated handout image Dallas Wiens(L) is escorted by his grandfather Del Peterson as they arrive at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts on his way to receive a face transplant.

After about 30 operations since the accident, Weins is continuing rehabilitation therapy in Texas. There are days, he says, when he is tired; he is still recovering and rebuilding his stamina; and he is still getting used to his new face: his beard grows thicker now, his nose is smaller and lips are thinner. Still, he accepts it as who he is today.

The accident has left him blind; and before the transplant, all he had to look forward to was the embrace of his 4-year-old daughter Scarlette. Since the surgery, Weins made steady progress gaining movement in his cheeks, mouth, nose and forehead. He can smell food and eats and drinks normally.

AFP PHOTO/UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTERRichard Norris of Hillsville, Virginia, was injured in a 1997 gun accident. Since that time, he has undergone multiple life-saving and reconstructive surgeries. Due to the accident, Mr. Norris lost his lips and nose and had limited movement of his mouth.

Richard Norris, who lost his lips, nose and teeth in a 1997 gun accident, can already move his tongue and open and close his eyes six days after what doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center described as the most extensive face transplant ever.

The recovery is much faster than doctors expected.

Norris, 37, had undergone several life-saving and reconstructive surgeries after being shot in the face in 1997, but was left with limited use of his mouth and, before the transplant, appeared as though his lower face and nose had been mashed in.

In a 36-hour operation on March 19-20, doctors carried out “the most extensive full face transplant completed to date, including both jaws, teeth, and tongue,” the centre said.

“The transplant included all facial soft tissue from the scalp to the neck, including the underlying muscles to enable facial expression, and sensory and motor nerves to restore feeling and function,” chief plastic surgeon Eduardo Rodriguez said in a statement.

“Our goal is to restore function as well as have aesthetically pleasing results,” he added.

Norris had spent the past 15 years living as a recluse, wearing a surgical mask and only shopping at night in order to avoid the staring of others, according to a report by MSNBC.

AFP/Getty ImagesRichard Lee Norris before and after the incident.

Norris is as surprised as doctors by the speed of his recovery.

When he opened his eyes on the third day after the surgery with his family around him, he wanted to see a mirror.

“He put the mirror down and thanked me and hugged me,” said Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and head of the transplant team.

The world’s first full face transplant took place in Spain, with doctors at Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona showing off their work in July 2010.

The first successful partial face transplant was performed in France in 2005 on Isabelle Dinoire, a 38-year-old woman who had been mauled by her dog.

Norris’s operation follows successful face transplants in Forth Worth, Texas, and Boston, Massachusetts, last year and it seems to be the most aesthetically successful to date, according to photographs and video shared with reporters at a news conference.

REUTERS/Patrick SmithCT scans of Norris's face.

Norris, who is still recovering in the hospital, is the first full face transplant recipient in the United States to retain his eyesight.

“We concealed all the lines so it would give him the most immediate best appearance with minimal touch-ups down the road,” Rodriguez said later in an interview.

To ensure Norris would retain maximum function of his facial expressions and movements, doctors gave him a new tongue for proper speech, eating, and chewing, normally aligned teeth, and connected his nerves to allow for smiling.

Before the surgery, Norris, who is unmarried and lives with his parents in a rural area, was been unable to find a job because of his appearance, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The transplant was “an amazing feat,” said the dean of the School of Medicine, Dr. E. Albert Reece at the press conference.

“It’s also an unprecedented and historic procedure that we believe will change, if you will, the face of medicine now and in the future,” Reece said.

About 100 doctors, scientists and other university medical staff ranging from plastic surgeons to craniofacial specialists teamed up for the operation.

The surgery involved 10 years of research funded by the Department of Defense’s Office of Naval Research and will serve as a model for helping war veterans injured by improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, the university said.

Rodriguez saluted the work of the teams around the world that had conducted the 22 face transplants to date, without which, he said, this operation would not have been possible.

With files from Reuters and National Post staff

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/news/face-transplant-richard-norris/feed/9stdRichard Lee Norris of Hillsville, Virginia, was injured in a 1997 gun accident. Since that time, he has undergone multiple life-saving and reconstructive surgeries. Due to the accident, Mr. Norris lost his lips and nose and had limited movement of his mouth. Richard Lee Norris before and after the incident.CT scans of Norris's face. See the face transplant which replaced Richard Norris’s jaw, teeth and tongue, and required over 100 medical staffhttp://news.nationalpost.com/news/see-the-face-transplant-which-replaced-richard-norriss-jaw-teeth-and-tongue-and-required-over-100-medical-staff
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/see-the-face-transplant-which-replaced-richard-norriss-jaw-teeth-and-tongue-and-required-over-100-medical-staff#commentsWed, 28 Mar 2012 18:54:36 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=156082

Richard Norris’s face transplant, one that surgeons say is the most comprehensive facial reconstructions ever attempted, has been deemed a success, allowing the 37-year-old man to emerge from behind a mask 15 years after a gun accident almost killed him.

Richard Norris of Hillsville, Virginia, was shot in the face in 1997 and lost his nose, lips and most movement in his mouth. Since then, he has had multiple life-saving and reconstructive surgeries but none could repair him to the extent where he felt he could return to society. He wore a prosthetic nose and a mask even when entering hospital for the transplant.

After a 36-hour operation, doctors from the University of Maryland Medical Center gave him a new face from an anonymous donor whose organs saved five other patients’ lives on the same day in what the centre called “the most extensive full face transplant completed to date, including both jaws, teeth, and tongue.”

Related

REUTERS/Patrick SmithChief of Plastic Surgery Eduardo D. Rodriguez, M.D., D.D.S., shows before and after pictures of patient Richard Norris during a news conference at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore March 27, 2012.

Six days after the surgery, he could already move his tongue and open and close his eyes and was recovering much faster than doctors expected.

University of Maryland Medical Center/handoutCT scans of the face of Richard Lee Norris show the original injuries to Norris's face (L), with the damaged areas removed (C) and after the transplant (R).

Rodriguez saluted the work of the teams around the world that had conducted the 22 face transplants to date, without which, he said, this operation would not have been possible. About 100 doctors, scientists and other university medical staff ranging from plastic surgeons to craniofacial specialists teamed up for the operation.

REUTERS/Patrick SmithPictures of patient Richard Norris before and after an accident and a face transplant surgery are seen during a news conference at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore March 27, 2012.

“He’s actually looking in the mirror shaving and brushing his teeth, which we never even expected,” said Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and head of the transplant team, who spoke at a press conference.

REUTERS/Patrick SmithChief of Plastic Surgery Eduardo D. Rodriguez, M.D., D.D.S., speaks during a news conference at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore March 27, 2012.

To ensure Norris would retain maximum function of his facial expressions and movements, doctors gave him a new tongue for proper speech, eating, and chewing, normally aligned teeth, and connected his nerves to allow for smiling.

REUTERS/Patrick SmithDr. Eduardo Rodriguez, associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and head of the transplant team, speaks during a news conference at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore March 27, 2012.

Words from Reuters and National Post Staff

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/news/see-the-face-transplant-which-replaced-richard-norriss-jaw-teeth-and-tongue-and-required-over-100-medical-staff/feed/6galleryBefore and after images of full face transplant recipient 37-year-old Richard Lee NorrisChief of Plastic Surgery Eduardo Rodriguez shows before and after pictures of patient Richard Norris during a news conference at the University of Maryland Medical Center in BaltimoreCT scans of the face of Richard Lee NorrisPictures of patient Richard Norris before and after an accident and a face transplant surgery are seen during a news conference at the University of Maryland Medical Center in BaltimoreChief of Plastic Surgery Eduardo D. Rodriguez speaks during a news conference at the University of Maryland Medical Center in BaltimoreDr. Rodriguez, associate professor of surgery at University of Maryland School of Medicine and head of transplant team, speaks during news conference at University of Maryland Medical Center in BaltimoreU.S. gunshot victim undergoes ‘most extensive’ face transplant everhttp://news.nationalpost.com/news/u-s-gunshot-victim-undergoes-most-extensive-face-transplant-ever
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/u-s-gunshot-victim-undergoes-most-extensive-face-transplant-ever#commentsWed, 28 Mar 2012 13:40:36 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=155910

Transplant included both jaws, teeth, and tongue

100 doctors, scientists and medical staff in operation

Surgery involved more than 10 years of research

By Hamish McKenzie

BALTIMORE — Surgeons have detailed what they claim is the world’s most comprehensive face transplant — allowing a 37-year-old man to emerge from behind a mask 15 years after a gun accident almost killed him.

Richard Norris of Hillsville, Virginia, was shot in the face in 1997 and lost his nose, lips and most movement in his mouth. Since then, he has had multiple life-saving and reconstructive surgeries but none could repair him to the extent where he felt he could return to society. He wore a prosthetic nose and a mask even when entering hospital for the transplant.

Related

REUTERS/University of Maryland Medical Center/HandoutUndated prom photo of Richard Norris courtesy of the University of Maryland Medical Center.

But last week, during a 36-hour operation, doctors from the University of Maryland Medical Center gave him a new face from an anonymous donor whose organs saved five other patients’ lives on the same day in what the centre called “the most extensive full face transplant completed to date, including both jaws, teeth, and tongue.”

Six days after the surgery, he could already move his tongue and open and close his eyes and was recovering much faster than doctors expected.

“He’s actually looking in the mirror shaving and brushing his teeth, which we never even expected,” said Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and head of the transplant team, who spoke at a press conference.

When Norris opened his eyes on the third day after the surgery with his family around him, he wanted to see a mirror.

“He put the mirror down and thanked me and hugged me,” Rodriguez said.

The operation follows successful face transplants in Forth Worth, Texas, and Boston, Massachusetts, last year and it seems to be the most aesthetically successful to date, according to photographs and video shared with reporters at a news conference.

Norris, who is still recovering in the hospital and did not appear at the media event, is the first full face transplant recipient in the United States to retain his eyesight.

University of Maryland Medical CenterCT scans of the face of Norris. Scans show the original injuries to Norris's face (left), with the damaged areas removed and after the transplant (right). Click to enlarge.

“We concealed all the lines so it would give him the most immediate best appearance with minimal touch-ups down the road,” Rodriguez said later in an interview.

To ensure Norris would retain maximum function of his facial expressions and movements, doctors gave him a new tongue for proper speech, eating, and chewing, normally aligned teeth, and connected his nerves to allow for smiling.

Before the surgery, Norris, who is unmarried and lives with his parents in a rural area, was been unable to find a job because of his appearance, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The transplant was “an amazing feat,” said the dean of the School of Medicine, Dr. E. Albert Reece at the press conference.

“It’s also an unprecedented and historic procedure that we believe will change, if you will, the face of medicine now and in the future,” Reece said.

About 100 doctors, scientists and other university medical staff ranging from plastic surgeons to craniofacial specialists teamed up for the operation.

The surgery involved 10 years of research funded by the Department of Defense’s Office of Naval Research and will serve as a model for helping war veterans injured by improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, the university said.

Rodriguez saluted the work of the teams around the world that had conducted the 22 face transplants to date, without which, he said, this operation would not have been possible.

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/news/u-s-gunshot-victim-undergoes-most-extensive-face-transplant-ever/feed/27stdRichard Norris is seen before (L) and after (R) his face transplant surgery in this combination of undated handout photos released by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Surgeons from the University of Maryland Medical Center on March 27, 2012, detailed what they said was the world's most comprehensive face transplant, allowing the 37-year-old Virginia man to emerge from behind a mask 15 years after a gun accident that almost took his life.Undated prom photo of Richard Norris courtesy of the University of Maryland Medical Center. Richard Lee NorrisMan shows off first U.S. full face transplanthttp://news.nationalpost.com/news/man-shows-off-first-u-s-full-face-transplant
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/man-shows-off-first-u-s-full-face-transplant#commentsMon, 09 May 2011 16:34:40 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=63501

By Adam Hunger

BOSTON, Massachusetts — A Texas cherry picker who burned his face off after his head touched an electrical wire showed off his new face on Monday as doctors presented the first U.S. full face transplant recipient.

Wearing black sunglasses and a dark goatee beard, Dallas Wiens, 26, appeared at a press conference alongside doctors who performed the operation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the northeastern city of Boston.

“To me the face feels natural, as it if has become my own,” said Mr. Wiens, acknowledging that he still feels numb in some places and needs to continue rehabilitation work to rebuild nerve function.

“I can never express what has been done, what I have been given,” he added, thanking the donor family who wished to remain anonymous.

Mr. Wiens was injured in November 2008 when his head touched a high voltage electrical wire, causing dramatic facial deformities and burning off his nose and lips.

Plastic surgeon Bohdan Pomahac led the team of physicians, nurses and anesthesiologists for more than 15 hours to replace Mr. Wiens’s nose, lips, facial skin, nerves and muscles.

The operation was done in March by a 30-strong team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which said it was “the first full face transplant” performed in the country.

“He was quite literally a man without a face,” said Dr. Pomahac.

The world’s first full face transplant took place in Spain, and was unveiled in July 2010 by doctors at Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona.

The 31-year-old recipient, identified only as Oscar, reportedly suffered injuries in a shooting accident and spoke at a televised news conference with considerable difficulty. He could not close his mouth and his face appeared swollen.
The first successful partial face transplant was performed in France in 2005 on Isabelle Dinoire, a 38-year-old woman who had been mauled by her dog.

Since then face transplants have been carried out in China, the United States and Spain, which carried out its first such operation in August 2009.

Mr. Wiens, who lost his eyesight in the accident, also spoke with some difficulty, but said he has already begun to regain his sense of smell.

“The ability to breathe through my nose normally, that in itself was a major gift,” he said.

Now he is considering university education and is looking forward to leading a more normal life with his young daughter, who was enamored by his new look.

“She actually said ‘Daddy, you’re so handsome,’” he said.

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/news/man-shows-off-first-u-s-full-face-transplant/feed/0stdFace transplant patient Dallas Wiens is seen before (L) his transplant and after (R) in this combination handout image released to Reuters on May 9, 2011.